Author Note:
Hi Everyone.
Firstly, I would like to apologise for forgetting to say this two days ago. Happy Independence day to any American readers.
Secondly, I would like to say thank you for the recent reviews. I naturally hate being criticised but I still appreciate any constructive criticism. I will try to learn from it and refocus my efforts where it is most necessary going forward. Of course, nobody is perfect, especially not me but I'll try to keep improving.
Though I'm afraid I script each part fully before writing it, so there will be no changes to part 3. If it looks like I'm not learning those lessons, don't worry, wait until part 4 to judge that.
A rewrite was mentioned as a route to improvement.
Regrettably, I can tell you now, I am not re-writing this. This story now has over 100,000 words over 39 chapters. I have worked on this everyday since April 19th in the few hours I have spare each day. It takes up all of my time and I will go insane if I have to write all of this again. So I appreciate the sentiment but there will not be a re-write. Instead I will try and learn the lessons in my next story.
Lastly, thanks for all the nice things you have said. I always try my hardest to make this as good as possible for you to read, so it's great to know that you like it. I will continue to update every weekday and will aim to do so with part 4 and beyond.
Thanks for reading,
Cbehrills.
THE BATTLE FOR THE EARTH – TEACHER AND STUDENT
In the Morning, The Hidden Leaf Hill
Before anyone else has arisen, one man takes an opportunity to gaze into the valley. That man is Uzumaki Naruto. There is a certain symbolism to his gaze, one that he does not realise. Last night, Boruto stood in this very same position, gazing into the valley with a frown on his face. Yet now, Naruto stands in this position, looking into the valley with a smile on his face. This shows the contrast between their attitudes and their opinions of this contest. This solitary comparison speaks volumes about them.
Approaching from behind, Sarada calls to him. "You're in a good mood Lord 7th". Sarada keeps walking until she reaches Naruto's side, mimicking his action by looking into the valley. It is a different feeling for her, not one of anxiety like Boruto had, instead, one of nervousness.
"I get to see you and Boruto fight today" Naruto points out, "I can't wait". This is true, although he is only 17 years old, Naruto has been one of the largest factors in creating the current generation of hidden leaf shinobi. It is his lessons, his opinions on being the Hokage and his desire to never give up that have changed the world.
"Aren't you scared that we will lose?".
Naruto scratches his chin as he thinks of how to phrase his reply. "Well, Boruto is Sasuke's student and you are Sasuke's daughter. So, there is no way you will lose, right?".
Sarada smiles lightly, lowering her head upon hearing the response. "You really think highly of my father don't you".
"Yeah".
'My father, he was indeed an incredible shinobi' Sarada notes in her head. 'But, it's like you don't understand how incredible you are to us. All of the other Hokage realise it yet you don't seem to. It's not my father who redefined what it means to be a shinobi, it's not my father who instilled the will to be Hokage within me. It's you, who told us to never give up'.
"I don't agree with the way Sasuke did things but he had the courage to bring about change" Naruto declares. "He had a goal in his mind and nobody was going to get in his way".
"That's not true" Sarada rebukes, "You managed to stop him".
"No. I didn't stop his dream coming to pass". The blonde Hokage shocks Sarada when he says this. Truthfully, nobody bar the members of team 7 truly understand what Sasuke's motivations were. "He dreamt for the hidden leaf village to change, he wanted the village to be something it was worth Itachi protecting".
"My uncle huh…". Sarada has never met her uncle but she has heard a lot about him. On the rare occasion when her father would talk about his past, her uncle would usually be discussed. It was he who had inspired her to use crows as part of her jutsu, a jutsu that eventually helped her to fight against a controlled Sasuke.
"Yeah" Naruto nods. "But, Sasuke didn't realise that the village he was going to create wasn't the one Itachi dreamt of. I just nudged him in the right direction is all".
"You're much the same though Lord 7th" comes the reply. "You had a dream, you dreamt of becoming the Hokage and nobody could stop you from making it happen".
Sarada speaks admiringly of Naruto, of course, he was the one she aspired to be like during her youth. Perhaps she too overlooks her own power though, much like his impossible dream of becoming the Hokage came true, so did hers. It had been unthinkable for an Uchiha to become the Hokage at one point, with the sole two survivors of the clan both being rogue shinobi. Still, she had overcome the impossible, just like Naruto.
"I guess so. Though the peace didn't last, I'm still really proud". The blonde Hokage smiles a toothy grin as he contemplates what must have happened in his future life.
"Proud?".
"After myself, Konohamaru and yourself became the Hokage" Naruto notes, "I think you've both done a really great job".
Sarada sighs, the memory of Konohamaru's death still weighing heavily upon her. She had wanted to stay that day, she had wanted for the death to be hers and not her teachers, though some things are not to be. Sarutobi Konohamaru may not have been the most powerful Hokage but he died protecting the village, just like his grandfather had so many years prior.
"After this is over, you're going to have to start leading the village" Sarada explains, "You may have been thrust into your job without any preparation but you're the 7th Hokage now. I hope you like paperwork".
"Paperwork!".
Sarada laughs at Naruto's reaction. This person who everyone had revered in the academy was just like Boruto and Sasuke had described. In the past Naruto was clumsy, loud and noisy, he wasn't talented but he ignored all of that. Instead he worked his hardest without giving up, and using his attitude he managed to become more powerful than anyone else.
"How about I make you a deal" Sarada offers. "I will help you to learn about paperwork and the boring parts of being the Hokage".
"And in return?".
"Your ninjutsu is far in advance of mine despite our age difference" Sarada notes. "So, in return will you take me as your pupil?".
"My pupil" Naruto starts, "But you're older than I am".
"Even at a young age you have become our leader in this contest, our strongest fighter" the last Uchiha points out, "There's more than that too. I may understand paperwork and have learnt the lessons you passed down, but, I still don't understand it as well as you did. What it means to be the Hokage, what it means to never give up".
These are the things Naruto first made clear to the world. To be the Hokage, to walk the most difficult path, to take all of the pain onto yourself, to never give up. Though Konohamaru and Sarada have learned those lessons, they haven't learned them as well as Naruto, even at this stage. That is because although Konohamaru and Sarada have come to understand these lessons, Naruto is the one who created them. Even at this age, his understanding can be said to be the best since Hashirama's.
"You really want to be my pupil?" Naruto checks again, thinking it slightly improper to take on a pupil older than himself, especially a Hokage.
"I've been told your master was a man named Jariya. My mother and father were the students of Lady Tsunade and Lord Orochimaru respectively. Boruto apprenticed himself to my father". Sarada rolls off her list of those close to her and their legendary teachers.
"I never had a master growing up. Of course, I had a sensei, Konohamaru sensei was the best. But a sensei isn't a master". Sarada smiles as she thinks back to her youth, "Boruto thought my father was really cool because he could fight against you. So, he became his student".
"Yeah, I remember" Naruto smiles.
"I always looked up to you in the same way. I found it amazing that someone could fight evenly against my father. Plus, there was more than that. It's the way everyone looked at you, you were the Hokage". Sarada begins to feel slightly embarrassed as she talks about admiring Naruto when she was younger. Not a few moments ago, the blonde-haired shinobi was panicking about paperwork. "You were the hero I strived to be like".
"I guess I'm pretty cool, it's the orange, right?".
"Uh… yeah…" Sarada sweatdrops. "When you were the Hokage, you were busier than any Hokage had ever been before. You didn't have time for a student. But now we have so many Hokage's, things are different".
"Please consider it" she says with a bow.
"Get up Sarada" Naruto says as he extends his fist towards her. "I don't even have to think about it".
Sarada is astonished by how quickly her offer has been accepted.
"I don't really know if I'll be any good as a master. And I think I'm way too young for it anyway" Naruto looks awkwardly away from Sarada, "But, if ever I was going to take on a student, I would want them to be exactly like you".
Sarada emotionally touches her fist against Naruto's. "Thank you".
"But you're not allowed to call me 'master' or anything like that, you have to call me Naruto alright. That's an order".
"Yes".
"And you're going to help me with that paperwork, right?".
"I promise".
"What a relief".
Later that Day, In the Valley
Clyde stands facing Naruto, a cheesy grin on his face as he considers the situation. He has a 3-1 lead. One more win for his team will seal their victory. "You realise it don't you, this could be the day your people die".
Naruto turns his head around, looking at his student and his son, standing next to one another. A smile coming to his face when he sees their unwavering faces, "These two who are fighting for us are different".
"Different?".
"Yeah" Naruto nods, "These are our leaders. The Hokage, the Shadow Hokage".
Clyde snorts at this declaration, clearly unimpressed. "A system where the strongest isn't the leader is destined to fail".
"Let me tell you something, General Clyde. To be a great leader is not to control your subordinates. It is to work hard for them, to protect them and to earn their respect".
Clyde starts as he hears Naruto saying this. His thoughts drift back into his past, to someone who once said very similar words. A wise man he respects with all his being, a wise man whose words have now become taboo. 'Damn, this kid sounds just like you, old man'.
"Someone who rules in such a way is destined to be outed" the General sighs, "I've seen such things before Uzumaki Naruto. Your way of living, it cannot be sustained".
"I'm not sure about that" the 7th says, surprising his opposite number. "If you didn't believe in the same things I do, then why did you call this contest, why did you bother to save your subordinate".
The General lowers his head. It's true, he did call this contest for the express reason of saving Peterson. He did this in rebellion of a system by which the strong are important and the weak are trash. This man who has invaded the villages, slaughtered the people and murdered the Naruto of the future, is seemingly a man of principles. He maintains those principles, whether they are to his benefit, or to his detriment.
"You know, you don't seem like an evil person" Naruto frowns. "I still don't understand why you have slaughtered the people of these lands".
"It's of no concern to you".
"Of course, it isn't" Naruto turns his back on Clyde, "But, just because you don't seem like a bad person, you shouldn't be mistaken. I'm going to beat you, just like I said I would".
"Today is your last day Uzumaki Naruto".
"No, tomorrow is yours, General Clyde".
Having said their pieces, each warrior returns to their respective hills. Each time they talk they understand each other a little better. They have their beliefs, whether they understand them or not. To stick to those beliefs, to protect their friends, neither one of them has a choice.
They have to win.
The Hidden Leaf Hill
"Sarada" Naruto calls as he walks back up the hill towards his new student. "It's time for lesson number 1".
"Lesson… one…" Sarada stammers. She had wanted to be Naruto's pupil for years when she was younger. It is a surreal feeling, hearing him say those words, almost making her feel like a child again.
"Sometimes you can't afford to lose" the 7th Hokage says, "So even if it's impossible. You just win".
Sarada nods. "Yes, Naruto". Then, without looking back she walks down the hill.
In referring to him as Naruto and not Lord 7th, she has fulfilled his first request. Now she understands that it is time to learn something. Right now, she doesn't understand just what Naruto was trying to teach her when he said this but she will come to understand in time. Whether Naruto can be a good teacher or not, isn't this something that she already knows.
Kakashi cocks his head as he watches Sarada depart. 'So, Sarada has taken on Naruto as a master huh'. Watching her back Kakashi shakes his head lightly. 'Honestly, Sasuke, Sakura, you raised your daughter to be just like Naruto, I can't help but think you did that deliberately. I hope you are watching, you raised her to be just like him and today she will do it. She will become a hero'.
In the Valley
On one side of the Valley a strange looking woman descends. Her attire clearly marks her as a Colonel but her eyes are constantly moving to and thro between various aspects of her surroundings. It is very purposeful, as if she is using an algorithm for observation instead of just letting herself look.
This woman has a slim build and is rather short. Her long purple hair stretches half way down her back. She is a creepy looking woman, a woman who causes Peterson to shiver each time she meets him.
This is Colonel Sheer.
Sarada activates her Mangekyo Sharingan as she approaches Sheer. Readying herself for a battle.
'This girl. I haven't seen another person with that same eye since getting here. It's only been the two of them'. A smile comes to Sheer's face as she realises the opportunity on her hands. 'I can't believe my luck. This is no coincidence. She must be that experiment's daughter'.
The two women meet in the centre of the valley, allowing for a moment of silence, slowly interrupted by an increasing wind.
"Shall we exchange names" Sheer asks with a sarcastic smile, "The last guy from your side wasn't too polite when we tried that one".
"You first".
"My name is Sheer".
"I am Uchiha Sarada. I'm the 9th Hokage of the hidden leaf village".
Sheer adopts a fighting pose as she looks at Sarada's face, trying to identify other similarities between her and her experiment. She finds nothing but similarities upon trying. How could she not, after all, this is Uchiha Sarada. Uchiha Sarada who had fought against her father not so long ago. Her father who had become an experiment for the enemy.
Sasuke's return had been as Sheer's experiment.
"Well then, let's have a good match" Sheer says.
Sheer punches the air before her. In but a moment the air super condenses around her fist, forming into a transparent structure, invisible to the human eye. A fist, that fist launches towards Sarada, the first attack of many that Sheer would dish out.
The Invader's Hill
'Sheer's element is wind. It may sound pathetic but when in the hands of an expert like here it's deadly' Peterson thinks. He has a lot of respect for Sheer despite her creepy looks, 'But it's greater power is not it's offensive strength, it's that it is invisible'.
Despite Peterson's confidence, Sarada dodges the punch.
The scarred Colonel starts, 'Why'.
In the Valley
Sheer chuckles lightly to herself. "Just like I expected, my punch was invisible but you were able to avoid it. Your eyes grant you truly superior vision".
"…".
"Your eyes, they are just like your father's".
Sarada's aforementioned eyes widen. 'This woman… knows my father…'.